Business

Steve Jobs. Bill Gates. Richard Branson. Marc Zuckerberg. Ted Turner. They are just some of the world’s business giants who’ve never earned a college degree. If a costly college degree doesn’t necessarily deliver the goods on what works in business, then what does?

Most of us have heard the term “keeping up with the Joneses”. The technical term is “conspicuous consumption,” demonstrating social status by the accumulation of possessions. Do you care about how the car you drive, the clothes you wear and the smartphone you use compare to those of your neighbors and colleagues? When we do this we are either showing off our success to others or wanting what others have.

Are you curious how companies like Google, Zappos, Southwest and others develop those winning workplace cultures, with such high productivity and profitability? Regardless of the industry, there is a common thread running through the highest performing companies: the inherent or stated culture of fun. Among companies denoted as “great” in Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” a whopping 81 percent of employees say they work in a “fun” environment.

From the showroom to the boardroom, your ability to deliver a message with clarity will have a dramatic impact on your success. What is the cost of un-clear communication within your organization? When it comes to your spoken communications, planning and preparation allows you to deliver your message more effectively, increasing the likelihood others will respond as desired. As you consider your approach to any conversation or presentation, consider the four keys to developing clarity: Substance, simplicity, structure and speed.

Variety in business is generally good, but when it comes to profit and revenue, an entrepreneur’s expectations should be fairly singular – go big. That’s according to business development expert Cameron Herold, who drove 1-800-GOT-JUNK’s growth from $2 million to $106 million in a handful of years. Otherwise, he says, you’re probably selling yourself short.

Recently on Shark Tank, one of the Sharks said something very powerful: “You can do something because you can do it. Or you can do something because you have to do it. OR you can do something because you get to do it.” Here is a question for you: If you were asked which of these three “descriptions” describes how you feel about your job, which one would you select?

In business today, effective influence is essential. Want your ideas implemented? You must influence others to act on them. Want more clients? You must influence people to buy from you. Want more advancement or responsibility? You must influence executives to see the value you offer. And to be an effective leader you must be able to influence others. In all respects, being able to influence others is the ultimate power tool.

Social media is a leading industry tool to bring brand awareness to the forefront of markets. More than ever, your business’ online reputation weighs heavily on your success due to the unlimited availability of content published daily online. In a majority of marketing and advertising methods, the communication is a one-way street from company to customer. However, social media is the most engaging, two-way communication medium for customer relations.

Otherwise capable and competent managers appear to self-destruct during crisis, making bad decisions and stumbling in public. Consider the decision by BP to try to “spin” the oil spill crisis and the poor performance of CEO Tony Hayward, for example. Why do your decision-making skills seem to desert you during a time of crisis? To understand this, we need to take a closer look at what happens during a crisis.

Veteran salespeople know that while every customer is unique, the obstacles to a sale are predictably the same and occur rather frequently. Once you understand these obstacles and the strategies to overcome them, you will have all of the tools you need to make the sale.